Scott Van Pelt found himself reacting in real time during ESPN's New Year's Eve coverage, and it produced a brief but noticeable on-air moment.
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Van Pelt was narrating scenes from Times Square as the clock struck midnight and turned to 2026. The broadcast showed various couples celebrating with kisses, prompting Van Pelt to joke about "live makeouts on SportsCenter."
Then the camera cut to two men kissing.
"Oh, what are we — what do we got? We got love in the air," he said, clearly caught a bit off guard but continuing on without missing much of a beat.
The reaction appeared to be more surprise than anything else. ESPN was carrying a simulcast of ABC's New Year's Eve coverage, and Van Pelt was describing the visuals live without knowing what shots were coming next. The moment unfolded quickly, leaving him to react on the fly.
NEW: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt visibly disgusted after two men making out popped up on his screen during New Year’s coverage.
“Yeah… Live makeouts on Sports Center. Get into it,” he said in response to the normal couples.
“Ohhhhhhhh! What are we….” he said in response to the gay… pic.twitter.com/gkPFmJA9ng
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 1, 2026
It was one of those unscripted television moments that can happen during live coverage, especially when networks dip into feeds they do not fully control. But he kept things moving and the broadcast rolled on.
For longtime viewers, the moment recalled other instances where Van Pelt has found himself navigating unexpected live exchanges, including an awkward but widely discussed interaction with Justin Thomas during Masters coverage several years ago.
